Remembering the Small Town of Carpenter, Colorado
About 12 miles northeast of Grand Junction lies a town you may never have heard of.
Let me tell you a bit about, Carpenter, Colo.
It's no surprise if you've never heard of it, especially since no one lives there anymore, and haven't since 1925. So let me tell you a little bit about Carpenter, Colo.
The town began in early 1890 by William Thomas Carpenter (see what he did there?) to have a place for the miners who worked for him to live. Carpenter built shacks for his single miners and small houses for those with families. Soon after, he petitioned for a post office, which was granted. The town never exceeded a population of 50, however, and ultimately the post office closed.
Carpenter then built several buildings in the town with the help of the Masons who worked at the quarry he owned. He envisioned it as a resort-type town and even renamed it, Poland Springs. The name never caught on, since no one knew how to spell it.
What made matters worse, Carpenter went broke following the panic of 1893, and the town ended up being owned by a man from Massachusets,Isaac Chauncey Wyman.
Wyman changed the name to Book Cliff, but the town fared no better and after his death, the town, the railroad, and the mines all went to Princeton University, who operated it until it closed for good in 1925.
Nothing remains of the town that sat just past 27 1/4 road.